New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-27
AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER
DISCUSSION OF THEIR RELATIONS.

| authors and puDllSler5 Wulcu HOS pNS" N'A''NN -
late in England has stirred up good deal OF interest
here and led to some inquiries by TRIBUNE reporters
+. c. Stedman was asked his opinion on this contro
versv and he replied that to state his views with any
condolences would require more time than he could
now SPARE He would say, however. that it what Is
generally understood Of the relations between BRITISH
authors and the publishers is correct, American
authors have tar less to complain lie Oeiie'eu
that our leading publishers were III 'Ae man, m n9no uo
able and even generous class OF men, quite ABOVE
f.lsfyinc an authors AS to the division OF
profits between authors and publishers, tbe present
system was in some respects open TO amendment
Charles Scrbner expressed his views In this way
al have read with interest what has appeared on
this subject in The TRIBUNE. l SUPPOSE that hat
YOU particularly is what Mr. Besant has TO say
on the phase OF secret pa offs made by British publish
era. The possibility OF such profits comes from the
system of division OF profits, which Amerc IN pub
fishers do not adopt. Where in Englnd. publisher
arl author divide profits the publisher seeking to be
dishonest desiring TO make more profit, VIII saw
than the author OF mas 1t or may have in his
power to purchase his material! or have his binding
DONE BOTH less rates than those represented to
the author. By colluslon or otherwise ne may thus
make the expense of book greater IMAM he ODen ac-
count shows and thus he may secure on additional
profit over that which is made apparent to the author
and thus the author be dctFauded OF his d ues.
In this country. however. and certainly IN our own
case this phase of the matter Is removed from con
trovcrsy through the fact that the royalty system Is
used the sharing OF profits between publisher ana
author not rcinC practised. The publisher simply
agrees give the author certain percent OF the re-
tail price OF the work. u course TINS system does
not remove the opportunity possibility OF cooking
the accounts of the number OF books sold. frln
ma, enter "a less number of books sold than il actually
tue case if desires to letraud. Bat so Tar as am
aware there has been COMP lant OF this KIND, no
charge even pointing III that direction rs regards the
publishing houses here well known in the trade. How
ever it H. perhaps. but just and tar that an author
should have every proper opportunity to satisfy him.
self fully that he is receiving his royalty uIon the
number OF books TO which be ia actually entitled by
sale. That he may do this he must needs have p0r-
nitv to ascertain through inspection of books by
actual count the number of books received from the
binderv by the publisher and the number the pub
Usher actually sells We ourselves. prospect of the
present discussion OF In mattel have been arranging
10 ah0rd opportunity OF this KIND to the authors
whose works we sell They wll have the chance
if thcy so desire to inspect the returns for them
selves and satisfy Themselves of the precise sale OF
their works To be even this opportunity would
not preyent necessarily, the possibility OF under
statement OF the OF books taken from the bind
cry yet il would Afford as TAR "a II possible iull pro-
lection to the author. Our action Is not the result OF
any complaint from any author or OF am expressed de-
sire on the part of AIRY tor this arran gemeDt, bnt
we have made II in order to indicate desire that
the author should feel that at all times he Is at Liberty
inspect the books for himself and thus have all poss-
ibe assurance that lac Is receiving what Is due him
I'm the OF foreign authors any representative they
may choose here may examine the books.and secdre
all information deslled which Will throw heht on Ms
particular account.
In this cour try there hos been nc complaint so far
as have learned, that the author does not receive
hi. ROYALTY on the full number ct books sold. The only
bone of contention t. the part OF the author that
he does receive sufficiently high percent on the
retail price. Well, the market Is an open one and the
author II at liberty to choose his own publisher H.
then, the publisher were making more than iair
profit some Other Publisher could AFFORD 10 give The
author "A larger royalty. and he would do So. Com
pct it5u rules among publishers well as with other
pcoue. Publishers have found that fifteen per cent
on the retail price all that they afford to pay.
Now supposns that 4 book retalls AT lollar. many
an author Will look the bare and say that tor
him to toll and agitate his bTaIn and his Imagination
in producing work which sells at one hundred cents
while the author gets only fifteen of them is unjust and
that he does not get proper remuneration.
Let u- look NJ IL. taking the 81 book "a basis.
The retail dealer has TO have discount OF 40 per
cent NJ least The publisher therefore receives Oo
cents. The cost 10 him OF the manufacture OF the
book il on the average 20 cents Adding
the autho's - cents and - cents Is lett
Tor the put Usher But that IL not profit lie has to
pay tor his plant out OF that which consists III the
plates. and probably thousand copies have TO he
s)d first 10 enable him to make mat up. men mere
- the advertising. suppose be puts out only $40 IN
ad errtising paper, will say; II his Prohts
are Ia cents volume, he must sell 100 copies to
make that amount good. Then there Is his rent his
salaries TO pav the whole expense OF his business |
Taking all this into consideration. you can readily
nerceye how it il that publishers come the conclu
that royalty OF - cent ABOUT all they can
AFFORD to pay Bat there If mother important feature
OF this matter. There was "A time when II book was
considered "A cheap affair But nowadays the ten
dcncy to papcr-hound volumes. at 90 -, 20, and
even 10 cents These paper covered volumes are
handled b, the news companies largely, ana neither
the American. the Union (which supplies trains eN-
teu., elv the Manhattan. the New England. nor any
other of these companies will handle these volumes
a cent ON a discont of 30 per cent AMI sale at
that Being received SALE many OF these volumes
are returned sOled and thus rendered almost Value
less. You perceive what "a reduction o. prohts ali
this makes
The want of an international copyright is working
great injury TO publishers well authors III the
matter OF foreign works For instance. there ia Mr.
Steyen.ons Merry Men, which we were selling at
30 cents and tor each copy sold we allowed the
author D per cont But the sale OF the work Is
virtually dead, lar IA We are concerned You
have observed that one firm OF publishers now sells
tour of Mr.. Stcyenson's works in one volume tor ~
cents ANY firm this country can do the same
thing and no other pu clisher can reasonably find |
fault is done, under the existing statutes Mr.
Stevenson il getting nothing and tins Is par
tcuiarly hard ,On him. tor he is not iich man aud
peas most his work on his couch rs he Is an IN
valid But with six editions OF his works III the field
here he get no royalty on the sales enormous as
they are. Tor StovensOn's works are now the most |
popular here OF all living noyelists. And this very |
popularity assisted i'll large measure, by tile cheap
ness of his works, Tor the want OF an MtcInatOna |
copyright law makes possible the publication OF tour
oi Stcvensons novels in volume. all tor 20 |
c.nts You can readily perceive that sale thus |
rendered large through the want OF statutory protec
ton tends to shut out home products through the |
very cheapness of the article thus not only deprving
the British author OF his dues but interfering with the
sale OF American novels.
II authors would look carefully into all these
noints bearin in mind. also the risks which pub
iishcrs assume IN launching u work well ms the
other points to which have called attention. they
cannot but that they are being pretty well treated
here | only way 10 a1Old them larger
prolts and that i. Tor the retail dealer to demand
smaller discount But these dealers declare that this
il impossible. They. too have privileged classes who
demand n discount in turn. Cergymen, school
teachers and various other classes OF people have TO
have saw 81 book for 80 cents Mt least 40 that II
the retail dealer gets only 20 per cent on ais prohts
are largely caten up. Certainly the publisher carnot
produce the book more cheapl, than he has been
doing-at least no way to that result has as yet been
lscoyered-and no larger royalty can safely be al
Iwed ut least on the acreage. There are exceptions.
for spcciol reasons in all matters The only way Ia
which the author therefore, secure greater roy
oiy IA 10 effect an increase in retail prices prevail
non retail dealers to be conont with less dis count
know that authors often thnk that their works
should bring them in larger royalty but rs ! have
already said the market is an open and they have
opportunity to deal with competing houses. So tar
M this firm IL concerned, the authors OF works pub
into their accounts with U.s. and satisfy themselves il
they WISH regarding the extent OF the sales OF their